Vehicle safety device



S. ROTHAUSKI.

VEHICEE SAFETY DEVICE.

PLlcATl N FILED rma 19 Patented June 28, 1921.

HEETS-SHEET l S. ROTHAUSKIV.

VEHICLE SAFETY DEvfcE.

APPLICATION FLLED FEB.3,192I.

1,382, 88 Patented June 28, 192.1.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITEDY STATES PATENT orifice.

SIMON ROTHAUSKI, F AKRON, OHIO.

Y VEHICLE SAFETY DEVICE.

Application filed February To ZZ 'zu/wm t may concern.'

le `it known that l, SIMON Borri-msm, a citizen of Hungary, residino' at Akron, in the county of Summit and tate of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle Safet Devices, of which the following is a specilication.

rlhis invention relates to fenders for vehicles, being intended more particularly for application to automobiles, motor trucks, or the like.

rlhe invention has for an object to provide a novel and simplified type of fender, in which the fender proper, or apron, is normally carried in a raised position, and is automatically lowered when the vehicle strikes any object in` front thereof.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a partial side view of an automobile, showing theinvention applied thereto. l

l'ig. 2 is a detail transverse section illustrating particularly the means for adjustably mounting the fender on the automobile, or other vehicle, this View being taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 5.

llig. 23 is a detail plan. view of one end of the bumper bar.

Fig. l is a front elevation of the fender with part thereof broken away along the line-1 4: of Fig. 5.

F 5 is a transverse section on the line 5--5 of Fig. 4.

ln constructing my improved fender I provide a pair ofL elongated guide-frames or guides, arranged one on each side of the vehicle and extending longitudinally thereof, Y

these frames carrying the various Vfender elements. To secure these frames to the automobile they are formed on-the rear end, at upper and lower edges with the angular flanges 11 which engage over the edges of a pair of transversely elongated plates such as 12 formed on the forward ends of brackets 13 adapted to be secured by bolts and nuts such as at 14: to the side frames of the chassis, the flanges 11 being secured to the plates by set screws 15 taking through the flanges.

Within each of these guide-frames 10 is slidably carried a slide-bar 17 whose fori Speecaton of Letters Patent.

ward end projects beyond the frame and is adapted to carry a bumper bar. These slidebars 17 are normally pressed to their forward position by coiled expansion springs suoli as 18 which are located in the frames 10 and bear against the rear ends of the slidebars. The bumper barmay comprise a rubber strip 20 bent to semi-circular cross-section and having its edges clamped between a strap 21 lixed to the ends of the slide-bars 17 and a second strap 22 secured by screws as at to the bars 17.

Secured to the undersides of the frames 10 are two boxes 25 to the lower ends of which are xed in turn a transversely extending cylindrical casing 26, the bottoms of the boxes opening into the top of the casing as clearly shown in the drawings. Journaled in these boxes 25 is a shaft 27 to which is secured one end of each of a pair of strong clock-springs such as 28, the opposite ends of the clock-springs being fixed to the walls of the boxes, as indicated at 29, the shaft 27 having a squared end 27 for the reception of a suitable handle for rotating the shaft and winding the clock-springs. To normally hold the shaft 27 against reverse rotation a pawl 30 is pivoted in each of the boxes 25 and engages a gear wheel 31 fixed on. the shaft. Formed on this pawl is a tail 30 which projects upwardly through an opening in the bottom of the frame 10 into a notch 32 in the slide-.bar 17 so that when the latter moves inward the tail 30 `will be depressed and the shaft 27 freed.

Mounted in the casing 26 is a shaft 34 on which is fixed a gear 35 meshing with the gear 31. To this shaft is also fixed one end of an apron 36 adapted to be wound therearound, and whose opposite end proects freely through a slot in the bottom of the casing, the apron being arranged in such a manner that it will emerge from the slot in a downwardlv and forwardly direction as shown. This apron may be made of suitable material, such as thin sheet steel, having suicient flexibility to be wound in the casing 26, but at the same time having' enough rigidity to maintain its downward and forward inclination as it is extended in position.

Upon the lower end of the apron 36 is mounted in any suitable manner a series of rollers 38 which are adapted to rest on the roadway when the apron is fully extended. I also provide a means for supporting the apron Patented June 28, 1921. 4e, 1921. sel-iai No. 442,087.

at a point between the rollers 38 and the casing 26. This means comprises a pair of arms 4:0 hinged as at 4l to the boxes 25 and normally held in a rearwardly.extending position by pawls such as Ll2 ,having` tails projecting. through suitable apertures in the bottoms of Y the frames l0, these pawls engaging hooked lingers such as t3 on the arms a0. i The free ends of the arms l0 may be connected by a bar 4:4. lVhen released from the pawls 42 the arms L.l are thrown downward and forward by springssuchy as land may be held against backwardl movement by spring# pressed hooked members such as a6, past which they snap as they swing downward.

ln the use of the device, which is secured to anautomobile )artiallT indicated at a5 asv a l .i7

'in Fig. l, the parts normally occupy the posi` tion shown inF ig. with the Varms a() raised and the apron BGcoiled in the casing 26.

When the bumper bar 2O strikes anyone iii front of the automobiletlie slide-bars 17 are moved backward in the fra-nies l0, moving pawls and 42 to inoperative position, the

' springs 28 causing the shaft 35 to be rotated through gears 3l and 35, and the apron to be projected `from the casing, while thev arms l0 are swung `forward to support the apron.` Y

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tofprotectby Let ters Patent of the United States is as follows: l

l. A vehicle fender comprising a bumper, a pair of slide-bars on which said bumper is fixed, a shaft, an apron normally wound on 'i said shaft, power ineans'for rotating said shaft to unwind said apron, a part holding said power means against operation, said part being released from its'holding position by asliding movement of the said bars,

and "ai pair ofaims normally held in inoperative position and adapted to be released to support said apron when said bars are so moved.

2. vehicle `fender comprising a bumper,

a pairv of slide-bars on which said bumper is fixed,- a shaft, an apron normally wound on said shaft, power meansl for rotating said shaft to unwind said apron, a part holding said f power means against operation, said part being releasedfrom its holding position by aisliding movemeiitofthe said bars, anda pairof arms normally held in inoperative position and adapted to be released to a p air of farms ynormally flield yin inoperative position and adapted tob'e released to vsupport Vsaid apronw-liensaid barsare so moved, a pawl engaging each arm to support it in inoperative position, said'paw-l having a'taii projectinginto the path ofthe said slide-bar, a spring for moving said arms to supporting position, andfa catch forfholding said arms j in supporting position;

4, A' vehicle'- fender comprisingfa bumper,

a pair of slide-barson'which'saidbuinper is xed, Vguideframesi'for'said slide-bars, a pair of boxes depending fromisaid guideframes, alsliaft-journaled in saidA boxes, a clock spring in eachf box' adaptedV to Vrotate said shaft', a transveise casing'dependiiig lfrom the said boxes;awshaft'in saidcasing,

an apronl wound on said shaft and adapted to project from the said casing, apair of meshing gears on the said-shaftaand a device-'lying `in the "pathV` of movemeiitlof one ofV said? slide-bars `and holding the lirstfshaft against rotation. Y

5. i vehicle fender- 'comprising a-bumper, a pair of slide-bars on' which saidbuinper is fixed, guideframes forsaidsli'debars, a pair of boxes depending from said1guide-fraines,i a shaft journaled inesaidf boxes, a clock' spring in each' box` adapted to rotate said shaft, transverse casing dep'endiirgffrom the said boxes, a shaft insaid casing,an apron wound -on saidsliaftand adapted toi project` from the said casing, a pair of meshing gears on the said shafts, anda device lying in the path of movement of one 'ofsaid slide; Y

bars Vand holdingfthe first 'shaft-f against I rotation, said 'deviceicomprisin'g a pawl engaging one 'of the; said igea-rs` and having a tail adaptedto be engaged lbythe said slide-bar. In vtestimony y whereof I have aixed my signature. j Y

SMON IROTHAUSKI 

